What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot's statement: re: N1242V, 1941 stearman, on 7/28/02 @ approx 1PM, departing a private grass strip sw of lee: on take-off at approximately 100 feet AGL, the engine coughed, sputtered and started to quit. We had taken off into the wind, on a basic heading of 240 degrees. The aircraft started to descend, we banked to the right to avoid a tree, the aircraft engine surged a second before the wing tip/right gear contacted the ground. The aircraft cart wheeled, the engine then dug in, and it flipped on it's back. A fire had started as we exited the aircraft. My partner and I had several bruises but otherwise were unhurt. We had flown the aircraft the day before for several hours. All tanks were sumped into a quart container before each and the final flight. No water was evidenced. The cause of the engine quitting is unknown to me. The run-ups were normal.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT'S STATEMENT: RE: N1242V, 1941 STEARMAN, ON 7/28/02 @ APPROX 1PM, DEPARTING A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP SW OF LEE: ON TAKE-OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE COUGHED, SPUTTERED AND STARTED TO QUIT. WE HAD TAKEN OFF INTO THE WIND, ON A BASIC HEADING OF 240 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DESCEND, WE BANKED TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A TREE, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SURGED A SECOND BEFORE THE WING TIP/RIGHT GEAR CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CART WHEELED, THE ENGINE THEN DUG IN, AND IT FLIPPED ON IT'S BACK. A FIRE HAD STARTED AS WE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. MY PARTNER AND I HAD SEVERAL BRUISES BUT OTHERWISE WERE UNHURT. WE HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT THE DAY BEFORE FOR SEVERAL HOURS. ALL TANKS WERE SUMPED INTO A QUART CONTAINER BEFORE EACH AND THE FINAL FLIGHT. NO WATER WAS EVIDENCED. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE QUITTING IS UNKNOWN TO ME. THE RUN-UPS WERE NORMAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.